Three members of separatist armed group Kuki Chin National Front (KNF) were killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Ruma upazila of Bandarban district on Sunday afternoon.
The joint forces also seized a huge amount of weapons, wireless devices and equipment during the operation, said Bandarban Additional Superintendent of Police Raihan Kazemi.
According to police sources, the security forces during the joint operation raided the border area of Ronin Para of Rowanchhari and Paikxyong Para of Ruma Upazila in the afternoon.
During the raid, when the KNF members fired at the army, the security personnel also fired back, leaving three dead. Later, the rest of the KNF members fled in the face of operation by the security forces. Weapons, wireless devices, and other equipment were recovered from the scene.
Bandarban Police Superintendent Saikat Shaheen said, “We have got report of gunfight with the joint forces. “I heard about some casualties in the firing. Police have not found any body yet.”
He said, ‘I heard the news that three people were killed. Police have been sent to the scene. Details of the incident will be given later.”
Ruma Upazila UNO Atiqur Rahman also said that details of the incident will be given when the members of the joint forces return from the operation. On May 17, the
security forces nabbed two top terrorists allegedly linked to banned separatists group KNF and Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hind Al Sharqiya.
Counter terrorism officials claimed that the KNF was planning to collect arms and ammunition for its operatives in the remote hilly areas of the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
The anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Friday arrested the chief coordinator of Bandarban Sadar and Rowangchari Zone’s KNF women's wing in Bandarban.
Commanding officer of RAB-15 Lieutenant Colonel HM Sazzad said the arrestee was identified as Akim Bom, who received arms training abroad.
In April this year, KNF armed caders attacked Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank in Bandarban's Thanchi upazila and looted Tk 15,00,000 from Sonali Bank and Tk 2,45,000 from Krishi Bank.
Earlier, the KNF terrorists broke open the vault of Sonali Bank in Ruma upazila of Bandarban and looted around Tk 2 crore
The KNF carried out at least nine major attacks in the past two years. Five army personnel were killed in four KNF attacks last year. Besides, eight people were killed in Khamtangpara area of Rowangchari upazila and one in Mualpipara of Ruma upazila in a clash with armed group UPDF (Democratic) in the year.
On May 8 last year, three people were shot dead in Paingkhiongpara area of Rowangchhari upazila and a shopkeeper, Thongchul Bom, was shot dead in Ramtharpara of the same upazila on 22 March, 2023.
Besides, on 21 June 2022, three people were shot dead by terrorists in Saijam Para of Barathali Union at Bilaichhari in Rangamati.
Banned terror outfit KNF claimed that they have 700 members.
KNF emerged as an armed group in Chittagong Hill Tracts two years ago by opening a Facebook page. They also announced formation of a separate state consisting of nine upazilas of two hill districts of Bangladesh. There were also allegations of extortion and killings against the terrorisrt group.
KNF members were imparting training to the members of Islamic militant groups from plain land.
